


Seventy Eight

by ehamlett



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hawkins National Laboratory, M/M, The Upside Down
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 21:30:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehamlett/pseuds/ehamlett
Summary: The reader is the niece of Chief Jim Hopper, and she comes to find him after hearing about strange events in his town of Hawkins, Indiana. After all, who knows strange better than her: 078. Of course, things get complicated when she finds her ex-boyfriend, Billy Hargrove, and his step-sister Max to be in the exact same town...oh and the mysterious number Eleven. How will she navigate repairing her relationship with Billy while another blooms with Steve Harrington? And how will she even start to help the Party save Hawkins when even stranger things start to happen?*Set after Season 2.





	Seventy Eight

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of the characters or plot points; all of them are property of their creators.

Steve's POV

"So you really think this shit is coming back again?" I asked as we all sat around the Byers' living room.

"Looks like it might be, kid," Hopper sighed as he pressed a hand to Joyce's back.

"I've felt it," Will said quietly, his fingers tightening against his jeans.

"Me too," El added.

"But you closed the gate!" Lucas said.

"I thought we did," El said, almost unsure. Mike squeezed her fingers in his, to which she gave him a small smile.

"Well whatever it is, something is here or coming back. I just don't know what to do about it," Hop threw his chief's hat roughly onto the coffee table. Suddenly, there were headlights shining into the living room window onto us.

"Who's that?" Dustin asked, as everyone was already here.

"Is it your brother?" Mike asked Max.

"I don't think so. He's working late," Max said but got up anyway. Billy and I had come to a sort of truce…not that we were friends but he wasn't trying to kill me every chance he got so that was something. I know that he knew something weird happened back in November, but honestly he probably had good sense not to ask too much about it. Hopper was up and crossing the room already, his shotgun in his hand just in case. Jonathan and I got up to follow him as he opened the door. I almost slammed into Hopper's back as he suddenly stopped.

"Holy shit," Hopper's voice was more shocked that I had probably ever heard it. Jonathan and I wound around him as he stepped out onto the porch.

"Nice to see you too, Uncle Hop," a female voice said teasingly. I looked around to see the car that had its headlights shining in. It was one of the most gorgeous cars I'd ever seen: a 1970 pitch black mustang. To be fair, the girl standing next to it was probably one of the most gorgeous women I'd ever seen too. She was leaning against the car door; she had on shorts made from blue jeans, an AC/DC shirt that was as black as the car, and a bright red bandanna was wrapped around her hair. 

"Y/N? Is that you?" Hop stepped further out of the house as I could feel all the littles pressing in from behind us trying to get a look at who was here.

"In the flesh," she grinned; it almost made her even prettier. Suddenly, Hopper was striding down the porch steps and across the lawn to pull her into a hard hug.

"I haven't seen you since you were in 4th grade," I heard him mutter. So this was Hopper's niece? She pulled back still smiling at him.

"I know. I have a lot to tell you," she said, "You weren't at home, but they told me at the station that you might be here. Said you actually had a girlfriend?" she teased.

"Yeah, I guess you'd call her that. Joyce?" he called her as she maneuvered around the kids (all of whom Nancy was keeping in the doorway still). "This is my niece, Y/N. Y/N, this is my girl, Joyce." Joyce reached out and automatically gave the girl a hug.

"Hello, sweetheart," she said, "Jim has told me about you. You're even prettier than he made you sound."

"You're so sweet," Y/N hugged Joyce back while mouthing something like, "I like her," to Hop.

"Would you like to come in and meet everyone?" Joyce asked.

"Of course but I-" she started until I was pushed into Jonathan as Max flew down the steps.

"Y/N!" she screamed her head off as she slammed into the girl. The girl's eyes flew open in utter surprise but happiness?

"Max! What in the world are you doing here?" she was hugging Max so tight like she was a momma bear who had just saved a cub. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" I saw now that Max was crying.

"You're here. You're alive," she was crying, clutching the girl so hard it had to hurt.

"What? Maxine, what are you talking about? Of course, I'm alive, silly," she was hugging her back, but there was worry on her pretty face.

"They said you died. Neil said you died!" Max was full on hysterically crying now. Y/N began brushing away her tears with her thumbs.

"What? Of course, I didn't die? I'm right here aren't I?" she was hugging Max close.

"Can someone explain to me how you two know each other?" Hopper interrupted even though Max clearly refused to let go of Y/N.

"I dated her brother, or well, step-brother," Y/N was brushing the red strands out of Max's face.

"You dated Billy Hargrove?" Hopper asked her, his mouth dropping open. To be honest, I think my own face was doing the same thing.

"Yeah?" she looked at her uncle weirdly, "Until I got a letter telling me they were moving and he never wanted to see me again." Her pretty face suddenly contorted into something very hurt and sad.

"What?" Max shrieked suddenly looking up at her.

"They told us you died! We moved because Neil said it would be easier for everyone," Max was angrily brushing away her tears.

"Maxine, what are you talking about? I'm obviously not dead," her voice was quiet and soothing.

"Don't do that," she batted the air, "Y/N, Neil made us move because they said you were dead, that you died on a case. Billy…Billy was a mess. He…" she started sniffling again.

"Max," Y/N was grabbing her hands gently, "Maxine, where is Bill? Is he okay?" Her voice was firm and calm but I could see the alarm on her face.

"Yeah," she sniffed, "but he's not the same. He's mean now and always angry."

"But…I don't understand. He wrote to me…" Y/N's voice was a little broken.

"I don't know who sent you a letter, but it wasn't Billy, Y/N. It wasn't," Max insisted.

"Hey, it's okay," Y/N hugged her again before Hop interrupted.

"Why don't we go inside?" he was looking around nervously.

Your POV

"I guess since Uncle Hop has lost all his manners since I saw him last, I'll introduce myself. I'm Y/N Y/LN. Hop is my mother's brother," I grinned playfully at my uncle despite Max clinging to my side. I still didn't understand what she had been on about outside, but I'd ask her again once she calmed down.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Nancy Wheeler, and this is my brother, Mike," the other girl who seemed close to my own age smiled at me and pointed to a boy with black smooth hair with freckles. They went around the room, and my vision focused on two particular people. The first was obviously the guy standing over to the side named Steve. His hair was looked silky despite the way it stuck up everywhere. I had to admit he was attractive despite the fact that I'd barely looked a guy since Billy. I felt a rush of pain yet again despite it being almost 9 months since the day I read that damn letter. The other was the small slender girl who was attached to Mike at the hip. As soon as they called her El, I knew all I needed.

"So you're Eleven aren't you?" I said, gently so I didn't startle her. I was effective…especially since she was the only one in the room I didn't shock.

"What? Why would you-?" Mike started protectively. I stretched out my arm towards her, showing off the golden numbers printed on the skin: 078. Her wide brown eyes widened immediately.

"I won't hurt you. I'm just like you are, or at least close enough," I smiled at her so she knew I meant well. Hopper's voice shouted over any reply she had though.

"What the fuck is going on? Why do you have that tattoo? Does your aunt know you're here?" Hop thundered as he stalked closer, worry clear on his gruffy face.

"Who?" I looked up at him in utter confusion.

"Your Aunt Alice?" he looked at me like I was being difficult.

"Hop? I don't have any aunts…especially not an Aunt Alice. Who are you talking about?" I looked at him a little worried. I knew he was getting older but he was too young to be this confused.

"Y/N, stop fooling around. Your dad's sister. I don't know, the one you've been living with since your mom and him died?" he huffed at me. I pulled back to look at him as Max let me go.

"She doesn't live with an aunt!" Max confirmed.

"Hop…who do you think I've been living with for the past 8 years? You signed me over to the program?" I stared at him in confusion. His eyes grew dark, his face morphing into a quiet rage that I'd never seen on his features.

"What. Program?" his voice was cold and angry, but I didn't really know who it was directed at.

"CEAD….Children with Extraordinary Abilities Division? Ring any bells? You had to

sign a ton of papers when Mom and Dad died," I looked at him. His hands were like claws on the chair arm and Joyce's knee.

"Jim," Joyce said quietly, but it went unheard.

"I never signed any damn papers. Never even seen any," he was angry, but I still didn't understand.

"But they said you agreed? You never got the letters I sent?" I asked, suddenly sad but I wasn't sure why.

"Well yeah I got your letters. All of em talking about your life in with your Aunt. Never mentioned any program or Billy Hargrove, that's for sure," I looked at him, just stunned. I noticed I had tucked Max in a little closer to me without noticing.

"I never wrote you anything about an aunt. Dad didn't have any sisters, or brothers for that matter. You were the only person I had, that's why you had to sign the release of custody agreements. They told me I couldn't tell you specifics, but I wrote to you about everything. I told you about every friend, every birthday….I told you about Billy, Max too." Suddenly Hop was standing up, throwing his glass across the room. He was furious.

"Are you bullshitting me, Y/N Y/M/N?" he shouted.

"No? What are you even talking about? You wrote me back! You asked me all about Billy and Max!!" I said as calmly as I could.

"You have any of these letters?" he demanded.

"No, when I left the program I couldn't take much of anything. I took the clothes on my back, my cash, and my dad's ring."

"You listen to me," he was pulling me up into a standing position. I could feel Max's resistance but she let him without argument. He was looking down at me, and I was surprised to see tears, "I would never…never have sent you away. I never would have abandoned you. I don't know what kind of things you can do or where you learned to do them, but gosh damn it, if I knew it never would have happened."

"You didn't sign custody papers?" I asked, tears in my own eyes. How many years had I spent thinking he hadn't wanted me, the uncle I loved with my whole heart?

"No, kid, no," he hugged me close. It was quiet for a minute, him holding me like he used to when I was a kid, like my own dad used to.

"Can someone please tell me what in the hell is going on?" I heard a guy's voice thunder across the room. I looked up to see the guy named Steve looking at us as if he'd seen it all already.

"You mean this?" I stretched out my arm.

"Yes, that…all of this…" he gestured to us in a rounded wave. The curly headed Dustin rolled his eyes beside Steve.

"Well, I mean mine is different than Eleven's because hers is mostly chemical induced in combination with natural abilities. Mine is 100% natural. That's why my tatt is gold and hers is black. There is blue too, by the way, those kids that are also naturals but not as powerful. It boils down to almost the same thing though. I've read your file," I turned to Eleven, who was looking at me with wide eyes. I crouched down next to the girl, remembering she was still a little kid. "Look," I smiled at her and snapped my fingers. In my palm, light danced around my fingers and up toward her face. It flitted around her in the shape of a hummingbird now. She gasped out loud and smiled.

"Well shit," I heard my uncle huff, with an "oof" type sound as Joyce elbowed him.

"Show them the really cool stuff," Max was beside me now, letting the hummingbird flit between her and El's hands.

"What? You got a bullet wound?" I chuckled as she grinned in delight as I added a few butterflies in the mix for the girls.

"No, but still cut his hand helping Mrs. Byers with dinner," she said. I looked up at Steve, and his eyes widened. It was like looking into big brown doe eyes. I reached out toward him. He got up and walked over to me, and now that he was in front of me, gosh was he tall. He had to be at least 6'2", easily.

"Can I?" I asked, letting the hummingbird and butterflies disappear, much to the girls' disappointment. He nodded, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. "This may feel a bit weird," I told him as I reached out for his hand. His hand was huge compared to mine, warm and calloused. The cut on the base of his right thumb was red and irritated, probably because he didn't put anything on it to soothe the skin. I slid my fingertips over the small wound, watching it heal to perfect normal skin within seconds. Steve's hand tensed in mine and he made a noise in the back of his throat.

"Oh my gosh," Nancy breathed, as everyone crowded in to look at his skin.

"That's so frickin' cool!" Dustin laughed, and I got the impression this kid was all sunshine.

"Can…" Mike started but cleared his throat, "Can you do me?" he pulled up his jeans to show a bunch of scratches on both knees. "I hit a hole on my bike on Thursday."

"Of course," I said gently and he held his girlfriend's hand. Honestly, they were really young for that but there was something so sweet about them. I crouched down again, placing one hand on each of his knees against the scratches. "Like I said, it will probably feel weird."

"Yeah no kidding," I heard Steve mutter as I willed the spirit into the boy. He gasped, and the scratches knitted together into nothing.

"That's nothing! She can do all kinds of stuff, like make you feel things. Remember that time, you made that guy pass out?" Max said to everyone, and I couldn't help but smile. She always had acted like I was some sort of superhero.

"Yes, I remember," I laughed at her, and she pretty much beamed up at me.

"I need to sit down," Uncle Hop said, sitting down heavily in the chair with Joyce patting his shoulder. "Your mom know you could do this stuff?"

"Yeah…her and Dad both…" I looked at him, realizing they never told him.

"Hell," he muttered and drug a hand down over his face. I decided to let him have his moment and turned back to El.

"I've seen videos of you…kind of stole your file actually. You can do some amazing things," I prompted her. She looked up at me, hazel eyes shining.

"I can't do the light," she said, very quiet.

"I know, but that's okay. We're all different," I held out my hand to her, trying to show her that I wasn't going to hurt her.

"I can move things," she added after a moment.

"Would you like to show me?" I said, sending a bit of comfort towards her. She stared at me for a moment before looking at my bandana. I felt ghost hands slowly untying the fabric until it fell and floated over into her lap.

"It's pretty," she thumbed the red fabric. I felt myself smile at her as I watched her play with it.

"I can show you how to tie it if you want," I reached out gently and waited for her to put it back in my hands.

"What is it?"

"It's called a bandanna. Here, let me," I gently slipped it under her hair and tied it up just as I had done with my own hair. She patted at it with her fingers and smiled.

"You can have it if you want. I have a bunch of them." I noticed now that there was a small drop of blood coming from her nose. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"You don't have the nose bleeds," the kid named Lucas said.

"I didn't notice, but he's right," Jonathan added.

"That's because I'm a natural born. Eleven is a chemical born, or basically how we think of it is that those of us who were just born naturally with these abilities tend to have different forms of the abilities. Our brains are slightly different in activity that the norm from what scientists can tell. Like I said before, my tattoo is gold because I'm a natural born with pretty strong abilities. The ones with blue are still natural born but they aren't nearly as strong. I guess it is because of us that the government starting trying to create more of us. That lead to the use of various chemicals and drugs, like LSD, on expecting mothers to change the babies from the beginning. Still, it's not exactly the same type of change so their bodies aren't 100% made for the abilities they have. That's why they tend to have nose bleeds," I explained.

"How many of you guys are there?" Jonathan asked.

"Chem born like Eleven? 24. Natural born Blues are 458, and Natural born Golds like me there are 89. At least that was the count for the United States that I last saw before I left."

"Why didn't you ever tell us that there were more of you?" Max asked, now looking hurt and sad.

"I couldn't. I had to protect you. I know that sounds like a cheap answer, but it is the truth," I gave her a hug, and I was relieved when she put her still skinny arms around me.

"Are you staying now?" she asked. I just nodded as I put my head on top of hers.

"How did you meet?" Joyce asked, her voice was sweet and loving.

"I actually did meet Max first, you were how old? 10?" I asked to which she nodded. "She was just then learning to skate…she hit something and ended up in the road. She got hit by a car, luckily not too bad. Still, she had a bunch of scratches. I had been walking down the street, just enjoying my day off. I don't know what made me do it since she was obviously not in danger of dying or anything serious, but I took off. I had her scooped up and on a bench before I even really knew what I was doing. She was crying up a storm, scared to death, but mostly because the driver of the car was hysterical herself. I didn't really know why, but I remember healing her right then and there. I was only 14 at the time, but I knew she needed me. I had least had some common sense to leave some scratches so that I could just tell the driver and others who had stopped where the blood was coming from. Little thing has stuck to me like a leech ever since," I laughed, hugging her tight to me. I could smell her coconut shampoo, more comforting than I could explain.

"You were just a kid," Joyce said, her eyes wide.

"Yeah…but she needed me," I smiled, "plus you grow up pretty fast in a place like I was in. I had to take her where she was supposed to be obviously. Eventually, I got her calmed down enough to ask where her mom was. I guess you'd weaseled away from her, but eventually I found Susan. She was hysterical trying to find Max anyway. Well, that got me an invite to dinner. That's where I met Billy. One thing lead to another I guess. We were friends for like two years. We started dating about when I turned 16. Everything was perfect…until it wasn't," I felt my eyes tear up.

"Okay, no crying, please. I can't have you crying," Hop sighed. "Listen, I'm so glad you're home. I need to get the kid home though, you want to follow?" I looked up and realized it was almost midnight.

"No, Y/N, please come stay. Please? Mom and Neil went on a trip yesterday morning. They won't be back for another few days!" Max begged, her big blue eyes training on me and then on Hopper. He gave a loud sigh.

"Fine, I guess. Just be careful okay? I only just got you back, no running off," he came to hug me again. "I want you to come to the station with me tomorrow. I need to know all of it, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," I nodded. He sighed again.

"Let me write down some numbers for you really quick," Joyce chirped and quickly walked into the kitchen.

"You'll drive Max?" Steve asked me as everyone started to pick up their stuff.

"Yeah, I have her," I nodded.

"You need a ride for tomorrow?" he asked Max.

"No, I can get Billy to drive me probably. He doesn't have to work," she said, getting her jacket off the couch.

"What's tomorrow?" I asked.

"Town Picnic since school's out," Dustin answered.

"Yeah, we'll go towards the end when my shift is over," Hop told me as Joyce came back in the room.

"Here, sweetheart. I wrote down everyone's number for you," she handed me a sheet of paper with literally everyone's number on it.

"Thank you," I smiled at her.

"You're welcome. We'll see you tomorrow and talk some more okay? You and Max be careful driving," she gave me a hug before everyone started walking toward the door.

"Thank you for the bandaid," El said with a sweet smile.

"Bandanna," Mike corrected for her as they held hands.

"Bandanna," she repeated, and the smile he gave her was adorable.

"You're welcome. I'll show you how to fix it a bunch of different ways, okay?" I told her, and she just about beamed from the grin she had.

"Okay, everyone out. Y/N, I'll see you in the morning. My shift starts at 9," Hop announced. I nodded and gave him a hug again.

"It was so nice to meet you, Y/N," Nancy smiled as she came out onto the porch.

"You too, love your shoes by the way," I added.

"Oh really? I got them-" she was interrupted by Steve.

"Sorry to bring up this girl fest," he said rudely but his expression was sweet and teasing, "but I have kids to get home."

"Oh right, sorry, Y/N. We'll talk tomorrow?" she asked as Steve pushed Dustin and Lucas forward.

"Yep," I smiled as Max also pushed me toward my car.

"So are you going to explain to me what you were on about back there with me being dead?" I asked Max once we were on the road. She would point ever so often when I needed to turn.

"We thought you were," her voice was suddenly small.

"Why in the world would you think I was dead?" I prompted.

"Neil came home one day…he said there had been an accident. That two cars had hit on the back highway and both nearly blew up. Said you was in one of them and that he got a call from the office telling him about it. He even showed us the official message," she was wiping away tears from her freckled cheeks as I turned down what I guessed was main street.

"What? I was never in any car accident…when was this?" I didn't understand where in the world Neil got this idea from that I had been in an accident.

"September 22nd. I remember because of how bad it was. He just said it over dinner…said it like he was talking about the weather or something. He and Billy fought…

He tore our entire living room apart. Mom wouldn't let me come out of my room. After that he didn't say anything for days. Neil said there wasn't a funeral because you were cremated. Billy wasn't the same after that, he got so mean. He and Neil fought almost every day. He got kicked out of school so Neil said we were moving here in November. He's been…better the past month but he still isn't him," Max told me.

"I got a letter from Billy on the 21st…it was in his handwriting. He told me that he didn't love me and never had. Said you and him didn't want anything to do with me and didn't need me. There was also a few things in there how I was a freak…" I blinked back the tears since I was driving. We turned onto a back street.

"Y/N, I don't know what happened but Billy would never have said those things. He loved you so much; he still does. He hid a picture of you from Neil…he hides it but I saw him looking at it one day. He looked so sad," she said, "But now you don't have to leave." I saw the Camaro parked in the driveway of a small but simple white house with blue shutters. There was a light on inside behind the blinds. I parked on the street, and grabbed my overnight bag from the backseat as Max bounced on her heels. As soon as I had closed the back door she was nearly sprinting up the driveway, clearly impatient for me to be just as fast. Eventually we got to the door, her opening it without hesitation. My heart squeezed in my chest when I heard his voice, despite how angry and worried it sounded.

"Maxine! Where in the damn hell have you-" his voice cut off almost into nothing as he came around the corner.

"Hello Bill."

 


End file.
